


In The Fields Of Idaho

by velvetjinx



Series: Idaho [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Fluff, M/M, Shameless Smut, chris is a city boy, sebastian is a farm hand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2018-08-22 00:39:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8266319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetjinx/pseuds/velvetjinx
Summary: City boy Chris comes to stay on his cousin's farm where he meets Sebastian, the farmhand. There's an attraction there, but Sebastian's been burned before. This is their story.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by gifs of Sebastian from Picnic which made me want to write farmhand!sebastian. The rest just followed. 
> 
> Thanks to Ria for her cheerleading as I wrote this! You're the best. 
> 
> I did an inordinate amount of research for this fic so if I got anything wrong please let me know.

First light was breaking over the sky as Sebastian wandered towards the cowshed. He could hear the cows lowing as he approached, and smiled. Maybe his life wasn't the most interesting life - farming was all he'd ever known - but he loved it. 

He entered the shed and started to get the cows ready for milking. He was almost sorry that milking wasn't a manual task any more - he knew how to milk with his hands, had learned at his mother's knee, and he found the process soothing. The farm didn't have many cows, only thirty heifers and a bull, but they had switched to machines some time ago as even milking thirty cows was a fair job. Once all the cows were ready, he switched on the machine, and waited. The cows always appeared completely unconcerned by the whole process, chewing their cud and occasionally turning their big eyes on him as if wondering what the hell he was doing there. 

Once milking was done, he unhooked all the cows and herded them out to the pasture, his trusty dog, Heather, at his heels. His eyes scanned the field, and spotted a clump of tansy ragwort in one corner. He sighed. That was going to have to be killed in case one of the herd ate it accidentally. Tansy ragwort, although it looked fairly unassuming, was poisonous if digested. Usually animals left it well alone but there was always a chance. 

Whistling to Heather, he headed back towards the house for breakfast. He fed Heather first, and she ate daintily as he cooked himself sausages and bacon, which he put on two fresh rolls. He looked around his small kitchen as he ate, thinking about his jobs for the rest of the day. It was almost harvest time, and the barley crop looked to be good that year. There had been a bit of a scare earlier in the season with powdery mildew, but luckily they'd sprayed early enough that they'd managed to control it well. Sebastian knew of nearby farms who hadn't been so lucky. 

He finished his breakfast and left the house, Heather following. As he approached the barn where they kept the sheep feed, he saw the farmer, Keith, leaning against the fence of the field where they grazed the sheep. Sebastian raised a hand in greeting, and saw Keith smile. 

"Morning, Sebastian. How are things this morning?"

"Things are good. Milking done, cows are in the pasture, and I was just about to feed the sheep. How are you?"

Keith nodded. "Not bad." He paused. "Got a visitor coming this afternoon to stay a while."

"Oh?" Sebastian didn't really have a lot to do with the big farmhouse where the farmer and his family lived, not since his mother had married again and moved to New York, but it was good of Keith to give him a heads up. 

"Yeah. My cousin's son is going to stay for a while. He's a big city slicker type, worked in LA for a big marketing company or something, but he got ill and the doctor apparently recommended him fresh air and outdoors. He's not just going to be lazing about, though..." Keith looked a little hopeful. "Actually, I was kind of thinking you could maybe show him the ropes. The only person who knows this farm as well as I do is you, Sebastian, and you maybe even know it better."

Sebastian frowned. His experience of people from the city wasn't great - his ex had been a city boy, and the less said about him the better, in Sebastian's opinion - so he wasn't overly happy at being lumbered with some guy who would probably look down his nose at everything Sebastian loved. But on the other hand, Keith was his boss and his friend, and he was asking him a favour, so what could Sebastian say?

"Sure thing, Keith. I can do that," he said eventually, trying to smile. 

Well. This was going to be fun. 

***

Chris sighed, staring forlornly at his satnav. He felt like he had been driving forever, even though he had split the 12 hour journey from Los Angeles to Idaho over two days. He had started off early that morning as he had told his dad's cousin that he'd be there late afternoon. And he had been fairly confident until he had realised that country roads didn't really follow the way they were mapped by technology, no matter how near they were to a big city like Boise. 

Giving up, he took out his cellphone and checked the reception. Wobbly, but if he was lucky it might work. He dialled the number he had for Keith and it was answered on the third ring. 

"Hello?" a woman answered. 

"Uh, hi. Can I speak to Keith please?"

"Sorry, Keith's out on the farm," the woman said. "Can I take a message?"

"Well, you might be able to help me?" he replied. "It's Chris here, and I'm trying to find my way to the farm but my satnav has failed me, and I'm not really sure where I am."

"Oh, hi, Chris! I'm Julie, Keith's wife. We're so looking forward to having you here. Can you tell me what you can see right now?"

Chris looked around him. "Uh. I can see a lot of fields, and some trees, and there are some sheep in one of the fields."

"Oh, honey, you've just described most of the surrounding area." Julie sounded amused but sympathetic at the same time. Chris just wanted to cry with frustration. "Here's an idea. The sheep should have coloured markings on them. Can you see that?"

Chris looked over to the field where the sheep were grazing. "Yeah, I can."

"What colours are they painted and where?"

"They're green and red on the left - no, the right hand side, towards the front."

"Those are Michael's sheep! He owns the farm next to us so you must be right around the corner. You need to drive about half a mile north and then take a left next to a tree that's been hit by lightning, then head straight down that road and you'll reach the farmhouse."

"I'm really that close?" Chris couldn't keep the relief out of his voice. 

"You sure are. Okay, Chris, you make your way on up to us and call again if you have any problems, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks, Julie."

"No problem. See you soon!"

They said their goodbyes and Chris headed off, following her instructions. He found the tree that had been hit by lightning and turned left up the road next to it. After about ten minutes of driving past a lot of fields of crops he couldn't identify, he came to a beautiful big farmhouse. 

He parked up next to another car, an old mustang, and got out. As he was closing the car door, a woman ran out of the farmhouse to meet him. 

"Chris? I'm Julie," she said, reaching in to hug him. "It's so nice to have you here. Keith should be here in a minute, he's just been out discussing farm issues with Sebastian...oh, here they are!"

Chris turned and immediately felt his stomach flip over. He recognized Keith from photos his dad had showed them, although he was quite a bit older now, but the guy who was with him...

A little shorter than Chris. Dark hair, floppy at the front, and blue eyes. A dark bluish-green shirt over a dark (dirty?) undershirt. He was smiling and laughing with Keith, and Chris felt a ball of want in the pit of his stomach, which he pushed away angrily. That wasn't why he was here. 

"Look who's here!" Julie called to them, and Chris watched as the guy immediately stopped smiling and narrowed his eyes at Chris, whether wary or in dislike Chris couldn't tell. But the guy didn't know him, so how could he dislike him already?

Keith strode forward and clasped Chris's hand in his. "Chris! Good to see you, boy. My god but you favour your father. Has he told you about the mischief we used to get up to when his family used to have the farm next door?"

"Uh, no, sir," Chris managed, and Keith laughed. 

"No 'sirs' around here, Chris. We don't stand much on ceremony around these parts." Keith smiled at him and Chris couldn't help but smile back. 

"This is Sebastian," Keith continued, gesturing to the other man. "He's lived on this farm all his life and knows it inside and out."

Chris stuck out his hand, and Sebastian shook it in a firm grip. His look was slightly sullen, though he seemed to by trying to hide it. Chris wondered why. 

"So Sebastian will be showing you around. We're a busy farm and you'll need to earn your keep while you're here, Chris, but you're in good hands with Sebastian." And ah, Chris thought he could understand why Sebastian seemed put out - he was on babysitting duty. Chris felt like he'd probably be pretty pissed off too if it was him. 

"I'll try not to be too much of a bother," Chris said, smiling at Sebastian, who just gave him a curt nod. 

"Fine. Keith, I'm going to go and check on that ewe in the back field, make sure her leg is healing up." And with that, Sebastian turned his back on the others and walked purposefully out of sight. 

"We've had some problem with walkers' dogs worrying the sheep," Keith said, almost apologetically. "Sebastian is a good guy. He just takes a while to warm up to people."

"That's fine," Chris replied, feeling like it was anything but. He was going to be stuck with a guy who didn't like him for zero reason at all? This wasn't exactly going to be brilliant for his stress levels. 

But Keith was clapping him on the shoulder. "How about we grab your bags and I show you to your room, and you can get unpacked before we have dinner?"

"Sounds good," Chris nodded, heading round to the trunk of his car to get out his suitcases. This was already looking to be a more eventful trip than he'd been expecting. 

***

Sebastian knew he was being childish, but he couldn't help but be pissed off. He was already busy, especially with harvest approaching, and he really didn't need some jumped up city boy coming in and ruining his routine. But he knew in his heart that he wasn't going to let Keith down so he was just going to have to grin and bear it. 

Gritting his teeth, he entered the back field, and walked over to a small enclosed pen where the injured ewe was grazing. He climbed over the fence and grabbed the startled animal, turning her onto her back so he could check her leg. It seemed to be healing up nicely, and he internally cursed walkers who let their dogs run off the leash on private land where sheep were to be found. Inconsiderate fucks. 

He walked slowly back to his house, greeted as he neared it by Heather, who ran out of her kennel to meet him as he approached. He petted the soft fur behind her ears, and went into the house as she trotted behind him. 

Sebastian had just finished his dinner when his phone rang. He looked at it in surprise, only to see it was Keith. 

"Hey, Keith," he answered. 

"Hey, Sebastian. You had your dinner yet?"

"Yup. What do you need?"

"I know you've got to drive the cows back to the shed this evening and I thought you could maybe take Chris along with you? Get him started."

Sebastian stifled a curse. Great. "Sure thing, Keith. Is he getting up for morning milking too?"

Keith laughed. "Maybe not on his first morning, but we'll see how he goes. I'll bring him over in about ten minutes then."

"Does he have boots?" Sebastian asked slightly sarcastically. 

"He does. He came fairly prepared, actually. His dad must have told him what to expect."

"Okay. See you in ten."

Sebastian ended the call and sighed. So much for his solitary evening. 

***

So okay, Chris wasn't exactly _afraid_ of cows, but seeing the size of them up close he sure as hell had a healthy respect for them. 

Keith had dropped him off at a house - Sebastian's house - which was a fair way from the main house. Not as big, either, but cosy looking. Sebastian had come out to meet them, looked Chris up and down, and nodded grudgingly. Chris had let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding - it seemed his appearance met with Sebastian's approval, at least. 

Keith had left them, with a promise to come and collect him from the cowshed in about half an hour, and Sebastian had inclined his head towards the path. 

"This way," he'd said tersely, and Chris had followed behind Sebastian and a beautiful black and white dog up to the field where the cows were. 

"That's...that's a lot of cows," Chris said. 

Sebastian gave him a look. "Not really. We only have thirty heifers here. But we've also got about two hundred sheep, twenty goats, five horses, and there are hens, ducks, and geese kept up near the main farmhouse."

"Oh." Chris wished he could say something intelligent, but it seemed he was destined to be pretty tongue tied in front of Sebastian. "So, uh, what do we do now?"

"You see that shed down there?" Sebastian asked, pointing down the hill. 

"Yeah?"

"We need to get the cows in there ready for milking tonight and in the morning. They know the way, they just sometimes need a push in the right direction."

"So what do I do?"

"Watch and learn."

Chris nodded and stepped back as Sebastian opened the gate to the field. He went in with the dog and began to round up the cows, moving them out the gate and guiding them down the hill. He motioned for Chris to follow behind, and he did so, at a fair distance. When all the cows were in front of the shed, Sebastian opened the doors and drove the cows into their pens. He shut them in and came out the door with the dog, latching the cowshed shut. 

"So you do that every night?" Chris asked, and Sebastian nodded. 

"Yup. I'll go back in and milk them again after dinner. Then get up in the morning, milk them again, and put them back out to pasture."

"Doesn't it ever get, I don't know. Boring? Or repetitive?"

Sebastian shot him that look again. "No? I mean, every job has routine, right? This is mine."

"Oh." Chris couldn't help but feel he'd somehow offended Sebastian with his question and his face fell. Sebastian sighed and rolled his eyes. 

"Hey, I know this isn't what you're used to, but don't knock it until you know something about it, okay?" he said, but his tone was gentle, and Chris knew he was forgiven. 

"Deal." They stood around in silence for a few moments as they waited for Keith to show up, and Chris felt something nudge against his hand. When he looked down, there was the dog, batting his hand with her nose. "What's your dog's name?" he asked. 

"Oh. Heather."

"What kind of dog is she?"

"She's a collie. They're good herders, good working dogs. I've had her since she was a pup, five years now. My old dog died about six months before I got her, and Keith was on at me to get another dog to help with the sheep. I couldn't at first, couldn't replace my old dog, but then Keith took me to see her litter and I fell in love." Sebastian looked surprised at himself for revealing so much, and Chris hid a smile. Maybe they were going to get on after all. 

***

After he'd finished his breakfast the next morning, Sebastian stretched his arms above his head and yawned, before dropping his arms back down by his side and sighing. He figured he should show willing and go up to the main farmhouse to pick up Chris, rather than always wait for Keith to prompt him, but he really didn't want to. What was it Keith had said - something about Chris being here for his health? Well, he looked healthy enough to Sebastian, and if he _was_ sickly he was just going to slow Sebastian down with his work. 

But Sebastian supposed that these things were sent to try him, and build character, or something. And Keith hadn't said how long Chris was going to be there, hadn't set a time limit on it at all, so he might as well get used to him being around for the time being. 

He whistled on Heather as he left and she followed behind him as they walked together towards the big farmhouse. As he approached, Sebastian saw Keith and Chris standing outside putting on their boots. Keith saw him and waved. 

"Morning, Sebastian! I was just about to bring Chris to you!"

"Thought I'd save you the trouble and head up straight after breakfast." Sebastian shot a glance at Chris, who was rubbing tiredly at his eyes, and smothered a grin. Chris might think this was early; wait until he got into things and he had to start helping with the milking. 

"So what's on first?" Chris asked, yawning behind his hand. 

"Feeding the sheep, then the goats, then seeing to the horses. You ride?"

"Nope."

Sebastian sighed. "Well, you're gonna have to learn. It's easy enough - just don't fall off."

Chris grinned at him at that, as if Sebastian had made a joke - he hadn't been joking at all, but somehow Chris's easy smile disarmed him for a moment and he couldn't help but smile back. He realised quickly what he was doing but it was too late. Chris was looking way too happy. Crap. 

"Come on. We're already behind," Sebastian said a little shortly, but Chris just clapped him on the shoulder. 

"Lay on, Macduff." And yeah, it was far too early for Shakespeare. 

They walked in silence for a little while, before Chris said hesitantly, "So...Keith says you've lived on this farm practically all your life?"

"Uh, yeah, I have," Sebastian replied, kicking at a stone on the ground. "My mom and I moved over to the US from Romania when I was a little kid, after my dad died, and I dunno, I think she was looking for somewhere peaceful to raise me? We lived in New York State for a few months but then she heard through a friend that a guy was looking for someone to work on his farm. My mom grew up in a farming family so she thought it would be perfect, and we upped sticks and moved out here."

"Where is she now?"

Sebastian shrugged. "She met some lecturer in Boise when she was there a couple of years ago and they fell in love and got married. They've moved back to New York now but I wanted to stay here. It's my life, you know?"

"You never wanted anything, I don't know, different?" Chris looked genuinely curious, not judgemental, and Sebastian found himself almost eager to open up. 

"Not really. I had a pretty idyllic upbringing - Keith's kids had mostly moved away by then but his youngest son was still here with his wife and their daughter who was just a year younger than me. We pretty much had the run of the place, although we knew not to go near any of the equipment or the slurry pit or anything dangerous. And when I got older...I finished high school, went to college and got a degree in agriculture, then came home. Keith had always said there would always be a home for me here if I wanted it, and after living in the city for a while all I wanted to do was come back. So I did."

"How long ago was that?"

"Six years. I was twenty one when I graduated."

Chris nodded. "Same age as me, then."

Sebastian shoots him a glance. "So what about you? Keith said you work in advertising?"

Chris laughed, but it sounded a little hollow to Sebastian's ears. "Yeah. High pressure, low appreciation. I don't even know why I stuck at it for so long. Don't get me wrong, I was good at my job, but it was soul destroying. In the end my doctor told me I was on the verge of a nervous collapse and if I didn't take some time off and just get away for a while, bury myself in the country somewhere, I was going to end up with a complete breakdown." He shrugged, not looking at Sebastian. "So there we go. My tragic backstory." He looked up at Sebastian then, and Sebastian could see the trepidation in his face. 

But Sebastian just knocked his shoulder against Chris's. "Well, this is definitely burying yourself in the country, but we're not exactly going to let you rest up. This is a working farm and there's lots to do. You okay with that?"

Chris smiled at him, and the smile lit up his whole face, making him look almost boyish. "Yeah, I think so," he said, and dammit, Sebastian's heart did _not_ skip a beat. It did _not_. 

***

"So...you're sure this is safe?" Chris was standing with one foot in a stirrup and the other on the ground, getting ready to mount a horse for the first time, and he was unbelievably nervous. It had been fine when they were just mucking out the stables or brushing the horses down, but this was a whole different ball game. 

Sebastian sighed. "I'm sure. Buttercup is the sweetest horse we own, and she behaves well for first timers. She's very patient. More patient than me," he said pointedly, and Chris winced. 

"So how do I get up there?"

Sebastian showed him, mounting his own horse with ease, and Chris took a deep breath before pushing himself up from the ground...

...and failing miserably to get onto the horse. 

"You're sure she's not too big for me?" he whined, and Sebastian rolled his eyes before dismounting and coming up behind him. 

"I'll help, but just this once. After that you have to do it yourself, okay? On the count of three...one, two, _three_ ," and with Sebastian's help, Chris managed to get up into the saddle. Sebastian went back to his horse and mounted it effortlessly, before walking the horse alongside Chris and Buttercup. 

"Okay, so we're just going to go for a walk right now, get you used to being on horseback. We're not going to do anything fancy, just walk." Sebastian showed him how to hold the reigns, and how to get his horse moving. Buttercup obliged on the first try, and Chris grinned, before almost losing his balance and only just managing to right himself before he fell sideways off the horse. 

"Rule number one: concentrate on what you're doing," Sebastian laughed, and okay, the guy had a nice laugh. Chris found himself wanting to hear it more often. 

They rode together around the paddock a few times, then Sebastian nodded. "I think that's enough for one day. We'll work you up to trotting, but it'll be a long time before I make you do anything as complicated as galloping, okay?"

"Okay," Chris said gratefully, as Sebastian dismounted. 

"Right, so you're going to want to come off the horse pretty much the way you got on - swing your leg over her back and leaning on the stirrup with your other leg get back on the ground."

"Easy for you to say," Chris grumbled, and swung his leg round. Too fast, and he lost his balance, and fell. But Sebastian was there to catch him easily, steadying him before putting him down. Chris turned towards him, but they were standing so close their faces were only inches apart, and Chris wondered what Sebastian would do if he just closed the gap and...

Sebastian cleared his throat, a slight flush on his cheeks, and took a step back. "Okay, so you did all right for your first time. Next time you should be able to get on and off yourself." He turned and walked his horse towards the stables, leaving Chris staring after him. 

***

 _What the fuck was that?_ Sebastian's inner voice screamed at him as he walked away. Chris had been so close he could smell him, a clean smell of soap with a tang of something earthy, and Sebastian had found himself looking at Chris's lips wondering what they would feel like against his own. 

_He's not here to stay,_ his brain reminded him. _Get a fucking grip, Sebastian._ But oh, god, it had been so long since Mark, so long since Sebastian had had that connection with somebody. He'd had some one night stands since then, sure, he wasn't a monk, but it had been so long since he'd wanted someone the way he'd wanted Chris in that moment. 

Chris joined him in the stables after a few moments, and Sebastian showed him how to undo the saddle and the bridle, trying to act as if his whole world hadn't been turned upside down. They brushed down their horses, then let them back out into the paddock to graze with the other horses. 

The rest of the day went fine, with no other incidents, but then Keith invited him to have dinner up at the big house. Sebastian accepted, not wanting to be childish - not to mention the fact that Julie's cooking was amazing - and after taking off their boots they trooped in to wash up for dinner. 

It was a pretty easy affair, with most of the conversation centring around Keith asking Chris what he'd learned. He was pleased that Chris had enjoyed riding, although he did laugh himself silly over Chris's description of him trying to mount and dismount. 

"Don't worry," Keith managed eventually. "You'll get it. It takes a long time to be the horseman Sebastian is - he's been riding near enough his whole life, haven't you?"

Sebastian nodded. "I remember the Shetland ponies you used to have when we were kids. You'd saddle them up and we'd ride them around the whole farm." He smiled nostalgically, then looked up, feeling Chris watch him. He met his eyes and Sebastian could feel the air between them sparkle with something electric. But then Chris dropped his gaze and the feeling went. 

When dinner was over, Sebastian was oddly reluctant to go back to his own house. But as he had to be up early the next morning, and he still had to give the cows their second milking, he said his goodbyes and, after calling Heather who had been playing in the yard with Keith's dogs, set off back to the cowshed. After milking was done, he latched up the barn and walked back to his house. It seemed weirdly big and empty as he walked up to bed, but he told himself he was being stupid. He set his alarm and slept, and if he dreamed he didn't remember. 

The following day was much the same as the one previous, except that Chris managed to mount and dismount by himself without incident. Sebastian was pretty proud of him, actually, and told him he was doing well for a beginner. The look of sheer joy at the praise on Chris's face nearly took Sebastian's breath away, and he looked at the ground, trying hard not to do anything stupid. 

"Come on," Sebastian said, motioning for Chris to follow him up to the field where they normally grazed the cattle. Today, however, the field was empty. 

"Where are the cows?" Chris asked, looking around. 

"I had to put them in a different field because there's tansy ragwort in here."

"Tansy ragwort?"

"It's a poisonous plant. If cattle graze on it they can get really sick. They don't usually because it tastes pretty foul, but it can happen so you have to make sure you catch it in time. The plants in here look pretty young so we can dig them up; if they were more mature we'd probably have had to use a herbicide, which has its own problems."

"Like what?"

"Well, when a herbicide kills tansy ragwort, it tastes better until the plant is completely dead. So there's a higher chance, if you put your cattle back in before it's completely dead, that they'll eat it and get sick. So that means you have to keep them out the field for at least a week, which is a pain in the ass. Digging them up is much quicker."

He handed Chris a shovel, and led him over to a patch of green. "This is tansy ragwort. It's got a big orange flower, and loads of insects love it, but we've got to control it on grazing land." Sebastian started digging, and Chris followed suit, obviously taking note as to how deep into the soil Sebastian was digging as he did it correctly. 

Soon all the plants in that patch were up, and Sebastian pulled a black rubbish bag out his pocket, tossing what they'd dug up into it. They scoured the field but, luckily, didn't find any more, so Sebastian led him out of the field, closing the gate behind him. 

"Lesson number two," he grinned. "Always, always close gates behind you. Doesn't matter if nothing is in the field, believe me when I say it's a habit you need to get into."

"Duly noted," Chris said, laughing, and they headed on to their next task. 

***

The next couple of weeks passed in a blur to Chris, and soon he found he had a routine. Get up at the crack of dawn, have breakfast, meet Sebastian, and start work. He found to his surprise that he was really enjoying it - he was learning a lot, and he could see why his dad spoke about his life on the farm with such fondness. Sure, he was always busy, but it was a satisfying kind of busy, where you really feel like you've achieved something. 

Every day, he was getting more confident on horseback. They'd even tried trotting a couple of times, which Chris actually found really enjoyable, although he was using muscles he hadn't even known existed. Not to mention that it made him wonder just how strong Sebastian's thighs were, and how good it would feel to be gripped between them. 

That was the only downside. Chris had now accepted that he was crushing pretty hard on Sebastian - now that he had thawed out and didn't treat Chris like he was a burden they were actually having fun together, and Chris liked more and more the side he saw of Sebastian when it was just the two of them. Sometimes he thought he saw an answering want in Sebastian's eyes, but it was always gone before he could figure out if he'd actually seen it or not. 

It all came to a head when they were finishing up for the day. They'd just put the cows back into the cowshed, and Sebastian was leaning up against the door of the shed, laughing at something Chris had said. His eyes were bright, and the look of joy on his face was too much - Chris had to lean in and kiss him. 

Sebastian kissed back for a few moments, then stilled. Chris pulled back, looking at him questioningly, but Sebastian just looked at him, before turning tail and fleeing down the hill to his house. Chris watched him go, feeling something like despair welling in his chest, before turning on his heel and heading back to the big house. 

When he went into the kitchen, Julie and Keith were already putting out the dinner. "There you are!" Julie smiled, but her face fell when she saw his expression. "Chris, honey, what's wrong?"

"I think I might have screwed up with Sebastian," he said dully. 

"What did you do, Chris?" Keith asked, frowning. 

"I kissed him."

Keith and Julie exchanged a look. "Ah," Keith said. 

"What?"

Julie led him over to the table and sat him down. "It's just...oh, honey, Sebastian has had his heart broken by a city boy before."

Chris's eyes widened. "What? What happened?"

Julie sighed. "It all started when he was in his third year of college, in Boise. He met this guy - Mark, his name was - and Sebastian fell for him hard. Mark was from the city, and thought that Sebastian's ambitions were pretty quaint. They stayed together for five years - Sebastian used to travel into Boise to spend the weekends with him when we could spare him, but Mark rarely came down here. And then one day Mark just broke it off. Said it wasn't working as long as Sebastian was just some hick farmer who didn't want any more from his life."

"What the hell?" Chris was inwardly fuming at this guy, but was suddenly overcome with guilt when he remembered sharing a similar sentiment. Fuck, he was such an idiot. 

"Sebastian took it pretty hard, as you can imagine," Keith added. "He's not had a serious relationship since then, and I once heard him say that he'd done with city boys for good. It's not you personally, Chris. I've seen the way he looks at you. He's just...he's probably afraid of getting hurt again when you leave to go back to LA."

Chris spent the rest of the meal deep in thought. This whole rest cure thing was only supposed to be for a few weeks, but he found he didn't miss being in the city at all. Here he had found something like peace, and he wasn't sure he ever wanted to go back. 

His mouth set in a determined line. He'd just have to show Sebastian that he wasn't just going to run out on him. He knew deep down that this was worth a shot. 

He'd start his campaign to woo Sebastian tomorrow. 

***

Sebastian awoke with his alarm the next morning to a few blissful seconds of ignorance before the precious evening came back to him. 

"Fuck," he groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. He didn't know how he could face Chris later. Maybe he'd just avoid the whole issue and not go to collect him. Leave it a couple of days until the awkwardness died away. He was pretty sure Keith would understand. 

It wasn't that he didn't want Chris - he could admit that freely enough. There was no point in denying it, really. But Chris was only here temporarily and then he would go back to his life in LA, and Sebastian knew that if he even let Chris in the tiniest amount he would be in for a world of hurt when he left. 

So really, avoidance was the key for that day. 

Having made his decision, Sebastian got ready and headed out to the cowshed. As he approached he saw a figure leaning against the shed door. It couldn't be...but it was. Chris was there already, looking sinfully good in a red and black check shirt and jeans. 

"What are you doing here?" he asked, floored. 

"I wanted to learn about milking," Chris deadpanned, and fine. If that was how he wanted to play it. 

"Fine. Come on in." Sebastian opened the door and walked inside, not bothering to check if Chris was following him. He began speaking, instructing Chris on the milking machine like he was bored, instead of panicking internally. 

"So you don't milk them manually?" Chris asked, and Sebastian shook his head. 

"Too many to do that. It would take most of the morning."

"Shame. I'd like to learn that."

Against his better judgement, Sebastian replied, "I can teach you, if you want."

"I really do."

Sebastian got all the heifers but one hooked up to the milking machine, then grabbed a pail from a hook at the side of the barn, beckoning for Chris to follow him. Sebastian led him into the pen of the last cow, smoothing a hand down her flank and placing the bucket underneath her udders. "Wait here," he said, and went hunting around the shed before he found what he was looking for - a short, three-legged stool and a pail of soapy water with a sponge. He went back into the pen and placed the stool on the ground next to the cow. He sat on it, and motioned for Chris to kneel beside him. 

"First, you've got to wash everything first so her udders don't get infected," he said, speaking softly so as not to alarm the cow. He gently washed her udders, and then his hands, and then took hold of the front two udders. "Okay, so the trick is this. Grasp the udders at the top with your thumb and forefinger, and squeeze gently. Then squeeze with each finger going down, one by one, and that forces the milk out." He demonstrated with a skill born of practice, and two jets of milk came squirting out the udders into the pail. He showed Chris a couple more times, then stood and motioned for Chris to sit in his place. 

"Wash your hands first, right?" Chris asked quietly, and Sebastian nodded as he did so. "Okay, here goes nothing." Chris was clearly trying to do as Sebastian had instructed him, but nothing was coming out. "I think they might be broken," he said mournfully, and Sebastian stifled a laugh. 

"I think you're just being too careful. You do have to be gentle with her, but try squeezing a little more firmly."

Chris tried again, but still nothing was happening. Sebastian got down on his knees beside Chris and leaned over, wrapping his hand around one of Chris's. "Like this," he said, and squeezed gently, making a jet of milk shoot out into the pail. He squeezed again, thrilling against his will at the feel of Chris's hand under his, and then Chris was turning his head to face him, and their lips were only millimetres apart...

"You need to watch what you're doing," Sebastian murmured, and Chris nodded. 

"Okay," he said breathlessly, and then he was closing the scant distance between them and Sebastian was lost. It was only a kiss, but it felt like coming home. The kiss deepened, and Sebastian twined their tongues together, his entire body feeling too hot and too cold all at once...

...When suddenly they were interrupted by a loud mooing as the cow above them shifted and kicked over the pail. 

They broke apart, breathing heavily. "Shit," Sebastian cursed. "I'd better get her milked. Sorry."

"No, no, you should definitely...do that."

Sebastian hooked her up to the milking machine and led Chris out of the pen, taking the stool and the two pails with them. He closed the pen and leaned against the door, ready to ask Chris just what he thought he was doing, but before he could get the words out Chris was crowding into his space and kissing him again, and Sebastian never wanted to stop. But all too quickly it was time to shut off the machine and drive the cows up to pasture, so they reluctantly broke apart. Once the cows were safely in their field, Sebastian turned to Chris and asked him shyly, "So, uh. Do you want to have breakfast with me?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Chris grinned. 

They made their way back to Sebastian's house in silence, occasionally shooting each other sideways glances, and by the time they got there the tension was nearly unbearable. 

Sebastian led the way into the hallway, but before he could go into the kitchen Chris was whirling him around so his back was against the wall and leaning in, stopping millimetres from kissing him. 

"Tell me you want this," Chris said hoarsely, his lips rubbing against Sebastian's as he spoke. "Tell me you want _me_."

"Fuck, Chris, want you so much," Sebastian admitted in a rush. He saw a look of triumph in Chris's eyes before he closed them and started kissing him. 

Sebastian lost himself in the kiss as it became increasingly passionate. Chris was pressing against him with his whole body, and Sebastian could feel Chris's cock hardening against his thigh, only too aware that the same thing was happening to him. Chris moaned into the kiss, turning Sebastian on even more, then _fuck_ Chris was undoing Sebastian's jeans and pushing them and his underwear down far enough that he could stroke Sebastian's cock, and Sebastian's brain shorted out for a moment at how good it felt before it occurred to him that he could return the favour, which he did. 

Having Chris's cock in his hand was such a turn on Sebastian knew he wasn't going to last long. They hadn't stopped kissing yet so he hadn't even seen it, but he could feel it and it felt big, and thick. Sebastian couldn't help but imagine what it would feel like inside of him and groaned. He was almost there, almost there, he was...

"Fuck, Chris, coming," he gasped out and then his cock was pulsing as he came all over his shirt. 

Then Chris was muttering, "Holy shit, Sebastian, you look fucking amazing when you come, knew you would, fuck, I'm gonna come all over you," and Sebastian just twisted his hand under the head as he stroked Chris and then Chris was coming with a hoarse shout, all over Sebastian as he had promised. Sebastian found that he didn't really care. 

They kissed sloppily as their breathing slowed, before Sebastian reluctantly pulled back. "I have to go change and then we'll have breakfast. We'll have to be quick though since we're running behind schedule," he teased, and Chris grinned. 

"Okay, but if you expect me to keep my hands off you for the rest of the day you are sorely mistaken."

"Well I'll just have to work you extra hard to distract you, won't I?" Sebastian laughed as he made his way upstairs to get changed. 

As he pulled his fresh shirt on, the enormity of what they'd just done hit him, and he cursed himself for getting carried away by the moment. Chris was going to leave, and then where would Sebastian be? But kissing him, touching him, had felt so right that Sebastian couldn't find it in himself to really regret it. 

He sighed. He would try to protect his heart, but he had a feeling it was a case of closing the stable door after the horse had bolted. 

***

It was so hard to keep his hands of Sebastian as they worked that Chris was pretty much being driven to distraction. He just wanted to throw Sebastian down on the ground and fuck him in the middle of the field, or maybe suck him up against the fence...

And he was hard again. Great. 

He saw Sebastian eyeing his crotch with a look that was half amusement, half hunger. "Something you want to share?" Sebastian asked. 

"Just thinking about what I want to do to you later," Chris replied, and Sebastian bit his lip, looking like he was holding something back. 

Instead he exhaled heavily through his nose, and said, "Come on. Time for your riding lesson."

Chris was now pretty good at mounting and dismounting, the daily practice really paying off, especially since Sebastian made him do it a few times before he'd even let him ride. 

"I thought we'd try cantering today," Sebastian told him, and Chris nodded. 

"Okay. What do I do?"

Sebastian explained, then demonstrated, and it seemed a lot to take in. Keep your back straight, move with the horse, don't grip with your legs, move your arms and the reigns with the horse's head... Chris was a little nervous, but tried not to show it. He got Buttercup into a trot, then as he rounded the corner of the field he got himself into position and signalled for the horse to canter. It wasn't easy, and he almost lost balance a few times, but he did it and as soon as he had halted Buttercup and dismounted he threw his hands in the air and whooped. 

"I did it!" he laughed, and pulled Sebastian into a hug. Sebastian hesitated for a moment, then wrapped his arms around Chris, and Chris never wanted to leave this moment. 

"You did good, Chris," Sebastian said into his ear. "I'm proud of you."

Chris pulled back and tipped Sebastian's chin up slightly, before leaning in to kiss him softly. "Thank you," he murmured when they broke apart, and Sebastian nodded, before clearing his throat. 

"Okay, time to muck out the stables," he said hoarsely, and walked off in that direction, leaving Chris wondering if he'd done something wrong. 

He followed Sebastian over and took the large fork he was handed. "Hey, uh. Is everything okay?" he asked hesitantly. 

Sebastian sighed. "Honestly? I don't know. You're leaving again in a couple of weeks so I know this isn't, like, a permanent thing or whatever. I guess I just thought... But look, I like you, Chris, so I suppose I'll take you any way I can get you."

Chris frowned, but he knew Sebastian was right. His sick leave would come to an end soon, and then he'd have to go back to LA. The very thought of going back to that city, to his job, made him anxious, but that was life. He had to earn a living somehow. 

He managed to keep his hands off Sebastian for the rest of the day, but as they drove the cows back into the shed Chris found himself unwilling to leave. 

"Have dinner with me?" Sebastian said suddenly. "And then, I don't know, you can help with the evening milking before you go back to the big house? You can call Julie from mine to let her know."

"Okay," Chris nodded, happiness welling up in his chest. Like Sebastian, he'd take what he could get. 

***

By the time milking was done, Chris was yawning up a storm. Sebastian just smiled at him. "Tired?" he asked. 

"Yeah. I guess I was just up a bit earlier this morning," Chris grinned. 

"Fancy a nightcap before you head back?"

Chris looked at him assessingly, then nodded. "Sure."

They walked back to Sebastian's place, Heather at their heels, but they were barely in the door and Sebastian was on him, kissing Chris frantically. 

"Stay with me tonight," he said, feeling slightly nervous, but there was no mistaking the flash of heat in Chris's eyes. 

He led Chris up the stairs to his bedroom, and as soon as they were inside Chris pulled him into a deep kiss. 

"What do you want?" Chris asked. 

"Want you to fuck me," Sebastian replied, and Chris nodded. They stripped quickly, and then they were naked and Sebastian could look his fill. Chris was in great shape, his muscles clearly defined, and his cock made Sebastian's mouth water. It was just as big and thick as it had felt in his hand, and Sebastian couldn't wait to feel it inside him. 

He strode forward and grasped Chris's cock, before falling to his knees and sucking it into his mouth. Chris's hands came up to bury themselves in Sebastian's hair as he sucked and jerked Chris's cock, using his free hand to touch himself. He knew he could get off on this - on the feel and the taste and the smell - but he didn't want to come until he was being fucked. Maybe some other day. 

Then Chris was urging him back onto his feet, kissing the taste of himself out of Sebastian's mouth, and they climbed onto the bed together. Sebastian got a condom and some lube out of his bedside cabinet and passed it to Chris, who nodded. Sebastian rolled over onto his front, bringing his knees up under him and sticking his ass in the air, and he heard a muffled curse from behind him. 

Then there was the slick sound of lube, and Chris's cold, wet fingers were playing with his asshole, making him whine and push back. He felt a single finger breach him and panted into the pillow. It had been a while since he had been fucked, and even longer since he had wanted it this much. 

Chris added a second finger, crooking them just right to make Sebastian's brain sing the Hallelujah chorus. He was desperate to touch his own hard, leaking cock, but knew that if he did it would end too soon, so he held on as Chris opened him up slowly, now with three fingers, occasionally pausing to pepper kisses up and down his spine. 

Finally, Chris withdrew his fingers, and Sebastian looked over his shoulder to watch Chris roll the condom on and slick himself up with more lube. Then Chris was guiding himself towards Sebastian's hole, and then he was pushing inside and Chris was big enough that it hurt a little bit, but Sebastian didn't care, just wanted him inside _now_. 

When Chris was fully inside him, hips against Sebastian's ass, he stopped, giving Sebastian time to adjust. Sebastian took several deep breaths, willing his muscles to relax, before nodding. 

"Move, Chris, please," he begged, his voice a fucked out mess, and Chris did, fucking him agonisingly slowly. Sebastian laughed hoarsely. "Chris, okay, we can fuck all slow and gentle next time, but right now I just need you to fuck me hard with that big beautiful cock until I come, okay?"

Chris laughed with him. "Your wish is my command," he said, before grabbing Sebastian's hips and pounding into him, changing angle until he was hitting that spot that made Sebastian cry out as stars exploded behind his eyelids. 

Sebastian knew he couldn't last, not with the way Chris was fucking him, and he brought a hand down to stroke himself. His cock was leaking precome onto the mattress as he got closer and closer to the edge before, "Ohfuckchris," coming all over his sheets. 

He felt Chris thrust a few more times before stilling, crying out Sebastian's name as he came. Then Chris was pulling out gently, and disposing of the condom in the waste paper basket beside the bed before collapsing beside him. Sebastian cleaned up the wet spot beneath him as well as he could with some tissues, but soon gave up and just cuddled into Chris's side. Chris wrapped his arms around him, drawing lazy patterns on Sebastian's arm with his fingers, and Sebastian smiled. 

"Stay?" he asked softly, and Chris leaned down to kiss him. 

"Whatever you want," Chris said, and Sebastian just wanted to ask him to stay forever. But knowing that wasn't practical, he just smiled up at Chris, then set his alarm before laying his head on Chris's shoulder and falling into a deep slumber. 

***

After waking the next morning with Sebastian's alarm, Chris threw on his clothes and kissed Sebastian breathless. 

"I'm gonna head back to the farmhouse for a shower and a change of clothes. Meet you for sheep feeding?"

"You got it," Sebastian smiled, and Chris's heart clenched. He hated knowing he was going to have to leave all of this soon, leave Sebastian, but he put that to the back of his mind as he walked back. 

He opened the door of the farmhouse as quietly as he could, closing it silently behind him. As he crept past the kitchen, Julie called out to him, "Morning, Chris!" and he cursed silently. Oh well. Better get it over with. 

He went into the kitchen and smiled wanly at Julie and Keith, who was sitting at the table as Julie cooked breakfast. 

"Didn't hear you get back last night," Keith said, his amused look belying his serious tone. 

"Uh, yeah."

Keith smiled at him. "You know, when I said Sebastian would warm up to you, this isn't quite what I had in mind, but I am happy for you both." His eyes narrowed. "You still planning on going back to LA in a couple of weeks?"

Chris shrugged. "Well, yeah. My job - my whole life - is there, what else am I meant to do?"

Keith shrugged. "You have options, you know. We always need extra hands around here, and I've been thinking about taking one or two more people on. Besides," he added, his gaze piercing, "it's not entirely true that your whole life is back in LA now, is it?"

Chris paused, the truth of that hitting him like a sledgehammer. But he wasn't ready to think about the implications yet, so he just sighed. "I'm going to shower and change."

"Breakfast will be ready by the time you're done," Julie said cheerfully, and Chris nodded. 

As he stood in the shower, water running over his body, Chris couldn't help but think about the previous night. Sebastian had been so responsive, almost needy, and Chris was getting hard just thinking about Sebastian bent over, hole stretched and shiny with lube, ready for his cock. 

He started stroking himself, thinking about kissing Sebastian, about the way Sebastian had sucked him. One of these days he wanted to come in Sebastian's mouth, wanted to watch Sebastian swallow his come and, fuck, he was close. 

He thought about them fucking, thought about next time having Sebastian on his back as Chris fucked him, watching Sebastian touch himself until he came all over those amazing abs and _fuck_ Chris was coming, biting his lip so no sound escaped. 

By the time he reached the field with the sheep Sebastian was already there, waiting on him. 

"What kept you?" Sebastian asked grumpily, and Chris couldn't help it, he had to kiss him. 

When they finally broke apart, Chris smiled. "Got distracted in the shower, had to touch myself thinking about you," and fuck, it was worth it to see that flush staining Sebastian's cheeks. 

But Sebastian just kissed him again, hard. "Did you make yourself come thinking about fucking me?" Chris nodded. "Good, because I might have done the same thing."

And just the thought of Sebastian, wet and hard, touching himself because he was thinking about him made Chris's cock twitch. But there was work to do, so they headed off to see to the goats. 

***

Chris had dinner with Sebastian again, but this time they both knew where it was headed later and there was a feeling of anticipation in the air. After they had returned from milking they went straight upstairs to Sebastian's room, both of them stripping off as soon as they got in. 

Sebastian felt his mouth water as he looked at Chris's cock, full and heavy, but he had plans. He crowded Chris against the wall and kissed him, pressing as much of their bare skin together as he could and, ohfuck, it felt so good. 

"Want to fuck you," Sebastian gasped out, and Chris nodded. 

"Oh fuck, yeah, want you inside of me so bad," he moaned, and Sebastian's cock pulsed at the needy sound. He pulled Chris onto the bed and grabbed the lube and a condom. Chris went to roll over but Sebastian shook his head. Chris looked at him questioningly, but lay on his back as Sebastian spread the lube over his fingers. 

Then Sebastian was stroking lightly at Chris's asshole, cataloging the sounds Chris made. He pushed a single finger in and felt Chris's asshole clench around him. Thinking about how Chris was going to feel around his cock was driving him distracted. 

He grinned up at Chris before leaning down and practically swallowing his cock. Chris's hips came up at that and Sebastian stifled a smile as he sucked. He added a second finger, slowly stretching Chris for his cock. Chris was making the most delicious noises, little moans and whines and whimpers that were making Sebastian even harder. 

He let Chris's cock out of his mouth with a wet pop and kissed up his chest as he stretched him with three fingers, biting gently as he went. When he reached Chris's mouth he kissed him deeply, fingering him open as they kissed. 

Finally he deemed Chris to be ready for him, and gently pulled out his fingers. 

"Gonna fuck you now," Sebastian murmured against his lips. "Want you to ride me."

"Oh my god, yes," Chris replied, and they moved into position as Sebastian rolled on the condom and slicked himself up. Then Chris was raising up, steadying Sebastian's cock before sinking down slowly onto it. The feel of Chris around him was almost too much, and Sebastian could feel himself sweating with the exertion as he forced himself not to thrust and let Chris adjust. 

Chris was biting his lip, then he nodded, before starting to move. Sebastian gripped Chris's hips as he rose and fell on Sebastian's cock, getting into a rhythm. Then he changed angle slightly and gasped, his cock leaking over Sebastian's stomach, and Sebastian knew he'd got the right angle to make him see stars. 

"Fuck, Sebastian, not gonna last," Chris groaned, and Sebastian nodded, bringing a hand off his hip to stroke his cock. Chris moved faster as Sebastian thrust up to meet him, stroking in time with their movements, and then Chris was cursing and coming all over Sebastian's stomach and abs. Sebastian thrust a few more times before his own orgasm overtook him, and his head fell back on the pillow as he caught his breath. 

Chris grinned down at him before lifting off his cock a little unsteadily. He flopped down beside him on the bed as Sebastian pulled off the condom and threw it into the waste paper basket, then Chris was cuddling into him. 

"So what's on the agenda tomorrow?" Chris asked, yawning widely. 

"Harvest begins tomorrow so no riding lesson. Do you think you can deal with the sheep and goats and mucking out the stables by yourself while I deal with the guys we've got coming in to help with the harvest?"

Chris nodded, looking a little worried. "Do you think I can handle it?"

Sebastian smiled at him, before leaning in for a kiss. "I do."

"Okay, then no problem."

Sebastian set his alarm, then leaned in for another kiss before they cuddled in to each other and went to sleep. 

***

The following week was a little strange for Chris. Sebastian was so busy with the harvest that he barely saw him during the day. But every night they spent together, and Chris found himself getting closer and closer to Sebastian as the days went on. 

But every day Chris was aware that his time to leave was getting closer. By the time all the barley was in he only had two days left, and he knew he had to leave something that had so much potential, but what else could he do? 

"Harvest is over and summer is gone," Sebastian hummed into his chest that night as they lay in bed. 

"It's been an amazing summer," Chris said, almost to himself. 

"It has," Sebastian agreed, his expression pensive. "God, Chris. I'm going to miss you so much," he added, his voice cracking. 

Chris held him tight. "I'm going to miss you too," he said quietly. 

"One more night, right?" Sebastian smiled sadly. 

But Chris just pulled him even closer and refused to answer. 

The next day they were back to their old routine, and as they rode together round the paddock, Chris sighed. 

"I never did learn how to gallop."

"Come back next summer and I'll teach you."

Chris's heart leapt. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, if you've not forgotten everything you know," Sebastian teased him, but there was an undercurrent of sadness to his words. 

Their lovemaking that night was frantic, Chris fucking Sebastian with more power than finesse, and afterwards as they lay in the dark if they both cried no one else was around to witness it. 

Chris left after milking the following morning. Sebastian, Keith, and Julie all saw him off, and Chris held Sebastian right before getting in his car. He drove off, back towards his real life, and sighed. How the fuck was he going to readjust? What the hell was he thinking? 

But he had commitments to fulfil, so he gripped the wheel tighter as the farm faded into the distance. 

***

As he watched Chris's car disappear, Sebastian felt a lump rise in his throat. He coughed, trying to clear it, before turning to Keith. 

"I'd better go and see to the sheep," he said, willing himself not to cry, before heading off. Damn Chris, anyway. Damn him for coming, damn him for leaving, damn him for breaking his heart. 

The next two weeks were hell. Everything reminded Sebastian of Chris. He was so moody and withdrawn that Keith was starting to watch him carefully, as if afraid he'd drown himself in the slurry pit. 

He'd found a tshirt of Chris's that he'd left behind, and had taken to wearing it to bed. He knew he was pathetic, but he just didn't care. 

Then, one evening, as he was returning to the house from milking, he saw a figure standing outside his door. It didn't look like Keith, and Sebastian wondered who it could be. As he got closer and the figure came into focus, Sebastian stopped. It couldn't be. 

He broke into a run, and the figure ran to meet him. They met in the middle in a bone crushing hug, and then their mouths met and Sebastian only knew bliss. 

"Chris," he said, pulling back, "what the hell are you doing here?"

"Keith said I had options." Chris looked as though he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Sebastian knew how he felt. "He said I could stay if I wanted, could work here, but I was so stupid I thought that it would be too much of an adjustment. I wasn't even back in LA when I realised how stupid I'd been. I quit my job and packed up my stuff as soon as I could, and I'm back, if you'll have me."

"If I'll...Chris, you fucking _own_ me, don't you know that? You ass. But you're not living in the big house any more. You're staying with me and we're doing this right."

Chris's face lit up in that beautiful smile. "I was hoping you'd say that. I. I love you, Sebastian."

Sebastian felt like his heart might burst from happiness. "I love you too. Idiot. Where's your stuff?"

"In my car up at the big house."

"Well we'd better go get it, hadn't we?"

As they walked off hand in hand, Sebastian felt more at peace than he had done for a long time. He finally had what he'd been searching for.


End file.
